Move-Item

Syntax

Move-Item
    [-Path] <String[]>
    [[-Destination] <String>]
    [-Force]
    [-Filter <String>]
    [-Include <String[]>]
    [-Exclude <String[]>]
    [-PassThru]
    [-Credential <PSCredential>]
    [-WhatIf]
    [-Confirm]
    [<CommonParameters>]

Move-Item
    -LiteralPath <String[]>
    [[-Destination] <String>]
    [-Force]
    [-Filter <String>]
    [-Include <String[]>]
    [-Exclude <String[]>]
    [-PassThru]
    [-Credential <PSCredential>]
    [-WhatIf]
    [-Confirm]
    [<CommonParameters>]

Description

The Move-Item cmdlet moves an item, including its properties, contents, and child items, from one location to another location. The locations must be supported by the same provider.

For example, it can move a file or subdirectory from one directory to another or move a registry subkey from one key to another. When you move an item, it is added to the new location and deleted from its original location.

Examples

Example 1: Move a file to another directory and rename it

This command moves the Test.txt file from the C: drive to the E:\Temp directory and renames it from test.txt to tst.txt.

Move-Item -Path C:\test.txt -Destination E:\Temp\tst.txt

Example 2: Move a directory and its contents to another directory

This command moves the C:\Temp directory and its contents to the C:\Logs directory. The Temp directory, and all of its subdirectories and files, then appear in the Logs directory.

Move-Item -Path C:\Temp -Destination C:\Logs

Example 3: Move all files of a specified extension from the current directory to another directory

This command moves all of the text files (*.txt) in the current directory (represented by a dot (.)) to the C:\Logs directory.

Move-Item -Path .\*.txt -Destination C:\Logs

Example 4: Recursively move all files of a specified extension from the current directory to another directory

This command moves all of the text files from the current directory and all subdirectories, recursively, to the C:\TextFiles directory.

Get-ChildItem -Path ".\*.txt" -Recurse | Move-Item -Destination "C:\TextFiles"

The command uses the Get-ChildItem cmdlet to get all of the child items in the current directory (represented by the dot (.)) and its subdirectories that have a *.txt file name extension. It uses the Recurse parameter to make the retrieval recursive and the Include parameter to limit the retrieval to *.txt files.

The pipeline operator (|) sends the results of this command to Move-Item, which moves the text files to the TextFiles directory.

If files that are to be moved to C:\Textfiles have the same name, Move-Item displays an error and continues, but it moves only one file with each name to C:\Textfiles. The other files remain in their original directories.

If the Textfiles directory (or any other element of the destination path) does not exist, the command fails. The missing directory is not created for you, even if you use the Force parameter. Move-Item moves the first item to a file called Textfiles and then displays an error explaining that the file already exists.

Also, by default, Get-ChildItem does not move hidden files. To move hidden files, use the Force parameter with Get-ChildItem.

Example 5: Move registry keys and values to another key

This command moves the registry keys and values within the MyCompany registry key in HKLM\Software to the MyNewCompany key. The wildcard character (*) indicates that the contents of the MyCompany key should be moved, not the key itself. In this command, the optional Path and Destination parameter names are omitted.

Move-Item "HKLM:\software\mycompany\*" "HKLM:\software\mynewcompany"

Example 6: Move a directory and its contents to a subdirectory of the specified directory

This command moves the Logs[Sept`06] directory (and its contents) into the Logs[2006] directory.

Move-Item -LiteralPath 'Logs[Sept`06]' -Destination 'Logs[2006]'

The LiteralPath parameter is used instead of Path, because the original directory name includes left bracket and right bracket characters ([ and ]). The path is also enclosed in single quotation marks ('), so that the backtick symbol (`) is not misinterpreted.

The Destination parameter must also be enclosed in single quotation marks because it includes brackets that can be misinterpreted.

Parameters

-Confirm

-Credential

-Destination

-Exclude

-Filter

-Force

-Include

-LiteralPath

-PassThru

-Path

-WhatIf

Inputs

String

You can pipe a string that contains a path to this cmdlet.

Outputs

None

By default, this cmdlet returns no output.

PSObject

When you use the PassThru parameter, this cmdlet returns an object representing the moved item.

Notes

PowerShell includes the following aliases for Move-Item:

• All platforms:

  • mi
  • move

• Windows:

  • mv

• This cmdlet will move files between drives that are supported by the same provider, but it will move directories only within the same drive.

• Because a Move-Item command moves the properties, contents, and child items of an item, all moves are recursive by default.

• This cmdlet is designed to work with the data exposed by any provider. To list the providers available in your session, type Get-PSProvider. For more information, see about_Providers.

Related Links

• Clear-Item
• Copy-Item
• Get-Item
• Invoke-Item
• New-Item
• Remove-Item
• Rename-Item
• Set-Item
• about_Providers